Midwesterners have cornered the market on vice presidential candidates for the 2024 election.
This week Vice President Kamala Harris named Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate. Walz’s selection follows former President Donald Trump naming Ohio U.S. Senator JD Vance as his running mate.
Both bring with them working-class roots, military service and positions that put them on the left side or right side of their prospective parties.
Harris was seriously considering Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shaprio, a more moderate Democrat who might be able to help her win a crucial battleground state. But in the end, she went with the more liberal candidate and she gave a nod to geography.
That leads to questions like how important are the midwestern candidates to this race and how important is the midwest to this election and how much of an impact does the vice presidential pick have on who voters choose on election day?
Joining us to discuss this is another proud midwesterner and political expert, Ohio State University political scientist Paul Beck.
Snollygoster of the week
This week the award goes to supporters of the constitutional amendment that would change the way Ohio draws its congressional and legislative district maps, which will be on the ballot this fall.
The group behind the proposed amendment, Citizens Not Politicians, has raised a lot of money — and it has already spent all of what they have raised. In fact, they are a little bit in the red.
The group has raised just more than $23 million since January. And it has raised or committed to spend $25 million, including $17 million for TV ads that have not aired yet.
And there are still three months left in the campaign. Why would they blow through all that money so early?
It’s because of a new state law that bans foreign entities from contributing to issue campaigns. And while we don’t know for sure, some of the money Citizens Not Politicians has raised may have come from a Swiss billionaire who gives to a progressive dark money group. That group has given $6 million to the redistricting reform campaign.
But wait, those contributions are illegal - well, not yet. The law does not go into effect until Aug. 31, which means until the end of the month, there is no way to enforce the new state prohibition on foreign money in Ohio issues campaigns.
So Citizens Not Politicians raised and spent the money in a shrewd way and is deserving of our Snollygoster of the week award, where we honor the shrewdest politician or political move of the week.
It’s one more example of no matter what kind of campaign finance rules lawmakers pass, those who raise and spend campaign money, will always find a way around the rules.
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